A forum that examines problems undermining the development of Cameroon in particular and Africa in general, with a view to charting the way forward. The development of Africa is first and foremost an African task.

This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 19th of June 2003. This article was an impromptu reaction to the issue of governance in Cameroon. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.________________________________________

The idea of conceiving and putting in place a National Governance Programme is in itself praiseworthy because if well organized and implemented, it could bring about far reaching changes in the way things are done in Cameroon.

The programme is intended to create an environment propitious for nation building, which implies an intensification of the fight against poverty and corruption, to name a few. Through good governance, capacity building of the civil society can be greatly enhanced, depending of course on the good will of those charged with implementation and those who fall in the category of public service users. Through good governance, fruitful and long-lasting partnerships can also be forged. On that point, the government of Cameroon has taken a step worth highlighting. It is that of setting up a mechanism by which economic measures are reinforced through the periodical meeting of the ad hoc inter-ministerial committee which has been wisely extended to include partners from the private sector. This second body is presided over by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, just as he presides over the National Governance Programme.

Interestingly, the programme`s priority areas are clearly defined. These include an improvement in the justice system, computerization of the electoral process, streamlining of administrative procedures, and moralization of the public service, as well as the institutionalization of public accountability. So far, some progress has been made in terms of sanitizing the business environment and making it attractive to investors. Measures have also been taken to reinforce capacity building of the civil society, computerization of the legal jurisdictions of the OHADA law with accompanying translations and publications in English, support for the Cameroon Female Jurors` Group, as well as the installation of some community radios in all of the country’s ten regions.

Obviously, the ideas are good. However, for them to work, a lot of work has to be done by both those implementing the measures and those using the services provided. Government must be seen seriously tackling corruption which has gripped the civil service to a very high degree. Civil service users must also be prepared to join the anti-corruption group and refuse to give bribes. They should all remember the saying: “If you are asked for bribe, don’t give; if you are given bribe, don’t` take.” Similarly, public contractors for example, must not be allowed to get away with poorly done jobs and policemen must desist from extorting money from public transport drivers. The Cameroonian worker must learn to be punctual for work and keep working until closing time. Use of public property such as telephones, furniture and vehicles must be stringently controlled.

Can we do it? The answer is, of course, “Yes”, for there are no two ways if we really aspire to lifting our country to heights that will make us all proud. Although the objective may look daunting , we must remember that the longest journey begins with the first step.

This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 23rd of August 2002. This article was triggered off by the visit to Cameroon of the then Prime Minister of China, Zhu Rongji and his wife, Lao An. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaounde, between 2002 and 2005.________________________________________

Although the link between the visit and Cameroonians living abroad may not be obvious, it is nevertheless a glaring one. The visit in question is, of course, just an example. The point is that because of nostalgia, Cameroonians abroad are prepared to embrace any event that can give them information about home. So when they hear of such a call being made to their country by a foreigner, some of them wonder whether it was not time they too undertook such a voyage back home. For some, the thought is so much of a nagging yearning that they feel they should really return home for good, and thus have it over and done with living overseas. However, for many, that lofty dream ends up with them twiddling their thumbs and drawing solace from being left with no option than to recount their tale to whoever is willing to lend an ear.

There are some compatriots of ours for whom living abroad has become synonymous with enjoying the good life. That means fast cars, credit cards, and of course, the green card. For another group of Cameroonians out of the country, the reason for making the place their home from home is that abroad, there are excellent opportunities for child education and upbringing which are unthinkable in Cameroon. The health system in the West is also said to be much better run than that of Cameroon, with a wide range of attractive insurance policies designed to secure the patient.

Observers of the international political scene have remarked that the number of professional Cameroonians who live and work out of the country is significant. We find them among the ranks of lecturers, researchers, executive officers, etc, in prestigious institutions, notably in America and Europe. In these second homes from home our overseas Cameroonians pay taxes which go to swell the coffers of the host country, so that in the process, the native country Cameroon becomes the loser. In other words, our compatriots who work overseas are simply helping to prop the economies of their host countries by boosting development in the host country, while Cameroon their first country, the one that gave them life, nourished and fashioned them languishes and wallows in abject poverty and misery.

Some Cameroonians have lived away from home for so long that they have become cut off from the reality on the ground. Such fellow country men and women remind me of an Equato Guinean with whom I flew from Madrid to Malabo. The man was making his first trip home in thirty years spent in Spain, notably Madrid. When the plane started descending at Malabo airport, he became so overwhelmed with emotion that he burst into tears and had to be comforted by sympathetic passengers.

Prolonged and uninterrupted stays in a foreign country can greatly distort ones view of one’s own country, and even set one up against ones country. This is borne out by the fact that although Cameroon did so well at the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester (England), one Manchester-based Cameroonian who watched the encounter, far from cheering for his country, instead expressed surprise that the country had done so well in the games. He said he wished Cameroon had done poorly. This is not surprising because sometimes when Cameroon`s national football team is playing, there are some fellow citizens who pray the country should be thrashed by the opposing team.

In a way, making the bold decision to return home after a long stay abroad is a difficult one for Cameroonians living overseas, although to be fair to them, Cameroonians are not the only foreigners feeling out of place in the foreign community. Nationals from other countries have been known to feel the same way. Nevertheless, the scope of this paper is limited to Cameroon because for now and at least as far as the present paper is concerned, it is the Cameroonian community that is the targeted readership. The reason some compatriots give for not wanting to return to Cameroon is that they are not financially ready. For others, it is uncertainty about finding a job, one of the explanations being that they will be frustrated by those already employed in the country and who fear the newcomers may displace them.

Clearly, this is a matter in which government ought to intervene. Perhaps one of the first things that could be done is the setting up of a National Commission for the Return of Cameroonian Manpower Abroad. Such a structure would serve as a think tank, permanently in touch with compatriots willing to return home, by updating on job prospects, accommodation and possible schools for returning children, to name those.

Frankly, we must take urgent action to build a strong and permanent bridge linking our brothers and sisters outside of Cameroon on the one hand, and the rest of us who are back here at home, on the other hand. Copyright 2010

lundi 25 janvier 2010

Two more draws, just twoAnd we`re outOut for goodTrudging like lambs to the slaughterOur fans, all our fansPulling aside the kitchen curtainsAnd peering through the keyholesTo see how heavy our heads are.

If you think that`s a joke, then you`re dueUnless you`re prepared for another boutThe fight of your life with nothing for food.If your neighbour is a potter And his wife a collector of empty cansThen for your safety, mind the rainsFor the governor`s sake, fill up the potholesAnd remember God is never too far.

dimanche 24 janvier 2010

Cameroon has underachieved in terms of meeting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This verdict emerges from the 2008-2009 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Out of the eight goals set by the United Nations for attainment by the year 2015, , Cameroon has so far made progress in only three. They include edcation, with the scolarization rate rising from 76.3 per cent in the 1990s to 82.8 per cent in 2009. Progress has also been made in gender equility treatment. The low scoring sectors include child mortality, poverty reduction and health.

(Cameroon Tribune, 05-01-2010)

copyright 2010

----------------------------------------------------------WATER SUPPLYFour town to get potable water

Four Cameroonian towns are to benefited from potable water provision, thanks to an accord signed by the Cameroon government on the one hand and on the other hand, the European Investment Bank and the French Agency for Development.

The towns which are Yaounde,Bertoua, Ngaoundere and Edea,will receive a total of CFA65.6 bn to be used by CAMWATER to improve the quality of potable water in the four towns.

(Cameroon Tribune 22-01-2010)

copyright 2010

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bamenda III Council adopts budget

The Bamenda III Council which embodies the villages of Nkwen and Banjah has voted a budget of 173 500 000 for the 2010 fiscal year. That figure marks a slight drop from last year's budget.

According to Mayor Pius Ngwa Amando,the reduction is explained by the fact that the Bamenda City Council to which Bamenda I (Bamendakwe), Bamenda II (Mankon, Mbatu, Nsongwa and Chomba) and Bamenda III belong, has assumed some of the development projects that would have gone to the three Councils.

By Tikum Mbah Azonga_____________________________________________________FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

Jailed minister faces new charges

Former Cabinet Minister, Titus Edzoa, who once held the prestigious post of Secretry General at the Presidency of the Republic and was the personal physician of President Paul Biya, may soon find that the current 15 year term he is serving for embezzlement of public funds is prolonged with a heavier sentence on the grounds fresh charges of embezzlement being brought against him.

The Bamenda Police Credit Union (BAPCCUL) has taken steps to ease customers' money transactions. The Union has done this by introducing electronic cards in the banking system. In a related development,Musa Shey Nfor, the Union's President has been re-elected to that post. BAPCCUL which is one of the most productive Credit Unions in the country, currently has a membership of 16 784.

AMITY BANK Plc holds it Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) on 30-01-2010 at 9am in the GICAM Conference Hall in Douala. On the agenda is the outcome of the Sielienou Christophe & Others Vs COBAC Decision case.

samedi 23 janvier 2010

This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 22nd of November 2004, on the occasion of the holding in Yaounde of the first National Assembly session following President Paul Biya's controversial re-election for another seven year term as President of the Republic of Cameroon. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.----------------------------------------------

This third and last ordinary session of the National Assembly is a key one. It comes on the heels of the October 11 presidential election during which Paul Biya, candidate of the CPDM, was elected president of a second seven year term. The session, being devoted to the 2005 national budget will give parliamentarians the opportunity to quiz ministers on the previous budget as well as the new one.

Perhaps more then ever before, Cameroonians are watching their parliamentarians and the questions lingering in their minds as they do so include: will it be the beginning of the implementation of the promises president Paul Biya delivered at his swearing in on November 3? W hen this session comes to an end, will Cameroonians begin to see the state institutions provided for by the 1996 constitution being finally put in place? Will Cameroonian parliamentarians, for once be given the opportunity of thoroughly scrutinizing budgets and reject them for inconsistencies, or will the CPDM dominated parliament continue to shelter cabinet ministers and sweep their wanting accounts under the carpet? Will this be yet again just another, trite, humdrum and mundane budgetary session characterized by decisions being forced down parliamentarian’s throats and rubber stamping being made to prevail?

Prior to and during the opening of this third ordinary session, most parliamentarians stated that their constituency members were crying out for salvation, to quote the musician, Prince Yerima Afo Akom. They want enough classrooms built and PTA’s relieved of the burden of employing part time teachers, so that government can do its job right through. Over and above everything else, constituency members want roads, roads to disenclaved rural areas, roads for the evacuation of farm produce, roads to usher in development, because as the saying goes, where a road passes, development follows. In other words, will the goods be delivered? Or, what does this first year of the so-called Cameroon of Great Ambitions hold in store for Cameroonians?

Whatever is the case, parliamentary work does not end at the ordinary session Far from it, it goes on until the end of their mandate. And so, in whatever they do, they must remember the words of J.F Clarks who said: ‘’A politician thinks of the next election, whereas a statesman thinks of the next generation.’’

However, there is one area in which MPs need commendation. It is that of the unity, conviviality and spirit of togetherness that prevails that prevails among them, regardless of party affiliation. In fact, National Assembly Vice President Rose Abunaw Makia, a CPDM member, was proposed and supported for election to an international position by SDF Opposition baron, Joseph Mbah Ndam.

Perhaps that is a lesson that while parliamentarians strive to make Cameroon a country to be proud of inside the National Assembly, Cameroonians should do the same outside of it. Everyone would then be working towards the same goal in total synergy and perfect symmetry.

Welcome to Dreamland Restaurant The land where catering and gastronomical dreams come trueHere, whatever you dream, we make itBut don’t take our word for itSavour our dishes, you will like themTaste our wines, even if you are not vettedYou’ll love them, we bet you.

By the time you leave, you won’t anymore rantOur meals will turn you into a true BlueOur drinks will hoist you to a new summitMore than ever and for ever, you’ll feel fitOur girls will charm you; tell themHere at Dreamland be sure of a smile you’ll never forgetHenceforth, never will the word, “restaurant” mean the same to you.Copyright 2010

jeudi 21 janvier 2010

I don't like ugly peopleThey drive me crazyAnd make me feel like throwing upUgh...! The sight of them!They look like scarecrowsAnd Father Christmas dressed up the wrong way.

Ugly people don't know they have an odd dimpleThey are like employees laid off by MagziAnd dreaming the Presidency will call them upI, Dericka will thrash them and even hang themAnd never will they be able to drown their sorrows.To turn the situation around, they must pay.

lundi 18 janvier 2010

I am the front door fenceThe barricade of fodder and hayStood here until thy kingdom comesJust to hold the bridgeSingle single handedI seek no assistance And demand no apologyI will stay it outEven if it meansThe ultimate priceI will neither be the first nor the lastSo, help me God.

From the innermost depths of my heartI stand here today before manAnd loudly and strongly proclaim my faithMy deep and unshakable faithIn the one and only AlmightyThe Alpha and the OmegaHe who wasWho is And who is to be.And I stand by my wordsTill death do me part.

Look for itLook for it by all meansAnd find itLike the table in Pastor Fai`s churchFind it before the clock strikes twelveIt may not be Big BenOr St. Peter`sBut what does it matter?

When the altar candles are litAnd the congregation chants, "Beans! Beans! Beans!"Don`t alter the temperature outfitLest the mass boys and girls, forward lurchLet the parish chairman do anything but delveWe have nothing to offer, not even a henBut for daily novenas we have our four SistersAnd to cap it all, the Holy Father.

Wasn’t it here?It was here, right hereIt was here that I left it.Here, still fresh and unsheathed Still blue and green and virginPureUnadulteratedUndefiledUnsoiledImmaculateAnd spotless.

That was only a while agoSo, tell meIf man wasn’t vileSadisticMachoChauvinisticAnd greedyThen why wouldn’t it still be herePureUnadulteratedUndefiledUnsoiledImmaculateAnd spotless?

But it’s not here nowNot here anymoreIt’s goneGone for everGone for goodWhat shall I then tell the queen?That I lost it?That someone stole it?That I forgot it in the shop?That I sent it to the newly married prince?That it was confiscated by the Boar me?

I’m afraid that whatever I sayShe won’t believe meI know herI know here only too wellIt’s another nail Yes, another one in the coffin of my already Battered, beleaguered, decrepit, besiegedRelationship with herI must now seriouslyBrace myself for the worseWith her, anything can happen.I know that.

samedi 16 janvier 2010

AloneAll aloneAll, all aloneI stood before the Large and heavy steel doorAnd fumbled for the key in my pocketMy hand fearful and hesitantThen the sweat, cold sweatAnd the pressing urineI choked.

SuddenlyA loud and commanding voiceBroke the silence of the nightAnd for one secondIt was as if the night darkness turned into day sunshineThen the status quo quickly returnedA voice cried out"No, son! Not that one!That`s not the key you need!What you need is the key to eternal lifeThat is the most important key.Stop searching and come with me!"

ThereuponA fatherly hand tapped my shoulderAnd in the distance I saw a shadowIt glowed brightly and floatedAnd as if possessed by some invisible forceI followed itI acquiescedI gave inI obeyedI submittedPowerless, but not like a lamb to the slaughterhouseFar from itI was happyAnd secretly prayed this shouldn`t be a joke.That`s how I got there.

The General Manager of the Cameroon Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) requires a consultant to elaborate an inspector manual and exploitation of the ATS, SAR, CNS, MAP.MET, PANS-OPS, TRG/PEL regulation.

The General Manager of the Cameroon Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) invites bids for the acquisition and installation of air conditioning material in some of Cameroon`s airports. These include the Maroua Airport, the Ngaoundere Airport, the Bamenda Airport, the Bertoua Airport, and the Bafoussam Airport.

The General Manager of the Cameroon Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) requires the services of a consultant to conduct a review of generators in the Maroua, Ngaoundere, Bamenda, Bafoussam and Bertoua airports, as well as rehabilitate the electrical circuit and raise the co sinus Phi of the Bamenda Airport. These include

The General Manager of the Cameroon Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) requires a consultant for the rehabilitation of electrical circuits and assistance to air navigation equipment at the Maroua and Bertoua airports..

The General Manager of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), Henry Njalla Quan, invites bids for the supply of drugs, paramedical and lab reagents for the medical and health services Department of the CDC.

This article is an adaptation of an earlier one I broadcast on the Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) National Radio Station on the 26th of June 2003. The paper was conceived as a reaction to an article published in READERS` DIGEST, analyzing the workings of the public service system in France. It is one of hundreds of articles I broadcast on the same channel between 2002 and 200, on the early morning prime time national and world news broadcast.==============================================

The data collection mechanism used is the public opinion poll and the country in question, France. Both methodology and country are significant for Cameroon. This is because opinion polls have for long, stood the test of time in terms of serving as a fairly reliable yard stick for gauging public opinion and also because France is a longstanding partner of Cameroon. Furthermore, because of the historical ties between the two countries,the Cameroonian civil service is largely modeled on that of France.

The survey, conducted exclusively by CSA/CAPITAL before being reported in the Readers` Digest, asked respondents whether they were happy with the country’s public service. Sixty five per cent of those polled said, “Yes”. Of all the sixteen services on which the poll was conducted, the National Electricity Corporation (Electricité de France, EDF) was the one with which French people expressed the most satisfaction, scoring 14.7 out of 20. For Cameroonian observers, such a revelation must come as a puzzle and a paradox, especially as Cameroon’s own power supplier is such a big disappointment to the nation and might be somewhere at the bottom of the league table, if a survey was carried on it within the Cameroonian context.

The reasons for EDF`s high ratings from which Cameroon’s AES SONEL could learn some lessons include the fact that EDF runs a non-stop 24 hour-a-day telephone service for customers and that it’s technicians turn up in record time when there is an emergency. It is reported that in 1999 for example, when a storm blew out lights, the speed with which the corporation restored them was breath-taking. EDF does not disconnect the customer for non-payment of bills without first giving the consumer adequate warning time. For years now, EDF customers have an electricity consumption watchdog which does protect the interests of the consumer. The corporation goes the extra mile to educate the public on the risks of electricity-related domestic accidents. In a nutshell, EDF is present, transparent and caring to the French consumer.

According to the survey, the justice system of France is the worst rated of the sixteen services polled. One woman told the READER`S DIGEST: “I have personally never had anything to do with the law, but my general feeling is that the justice system functions poorly. One sees it in the media. The State makes decisions but the decrees are not applied or vaguely applied. The police arrests delinquents and the justice system releases them. Too often, no follow up is given to reported offences.”

After the Electricity Corporation at the top of the league table, in number two is Local Government services; followed by the Post Office, and hospitals in fourth position. Fifth is France Telecom; sixth is the Health Insurance Company, (CNAM) and in seventh place, the Family Allowance Corporation, CAF. The Police is number eight; Divisional Offices, number nine; National Education, number ten; the railway corporations, RAPT and SNCF, number eleven; taxation, twelve; the Unemployment Insurance Fund, thirteen.

Interviewees strongly felt that the State and not the private sector should be in charge of key services such as the maintenance of law and order, job protection, education, the mail service, public health, water and electricity. On the other hand, they felt the private sector should be in charge of areas such as transportation, culture and the media.

When asked what interviewees thought could be done to improve service, most said administrative procedures ought to be simplified. This view is hardly surprising, for one person remarked that trying to get served in France is like offering oneself as anything but a client, which is what one ought to be. Another user recounted her ordeal when she went to the mayor’s office to obtain a French passport for her child born abroad. After being asked to prove she was French, she duly produced her birth certificate and passport but was shocked to be told that she must show her National Identity Card, which was of course, the only document she did not have at the time.

Surely, if Cameroon needed a partner with which to compare notes on where to go from here with the public service, then here at last is a golden opportunity.

Look at me and write itI’m here, right here, right nowAnd here to stayI won’t move an inchI mean, until the chickens come home to roostSo go onGo right ahead, and do it rightPaint me the portrait of the Aries lady.

Are you wondering whether I’m fit?And whether although I smile, I can vow?Yes, I can, but only in early MayIf you don’t know, I can also pinchI know my rights and what I need as a boostWhether I am selling at Tim’s or humming for fun.That’s why my days are always brightAnd why I’ll never be part of your bevy.

He disappointed meThis man to whom I gave of myselfI gave him my heartMy love, my allIn the end he walked out on meSo many years of sacrifice, self sacrificeWe looked in the same directionI, like a missionary, planted my heart on the fig treeAnd stood guard like a Roman sentryUntil the chickens came home to roost.

Today, he comes back on bended kneeTelling me he has hung his boots on the shelfHe claims he is sorry about the great fallHe asks if I’ll accept him back for a feeThose were the days we ate nothing but riceForget about my life in the Soa directionSo much water under the bridge of pedigreeBut there’s no way I can make a second entryFrankly, he must look for someone else for that boost.

I will still have to thinkAnd think I willFor nothing is more paramount than thoughtEspecially when your place of work is called `Paramount`Of course, thinking is nothing newOr novel to the Cancerian managerWhether what you have in mind isGastronomic, endoscopic, microscopic or just magdoscopicThe fact remains that the task at hand, I bet youIs Herculean, mammoth and demanding.

Yet with God being my helper, I won`t blinkEverywhere and at all times, I`ll do his willBecause without him my paramount dream will be naughtMy God is my fortress, my refuge and my fountHe will guide me towards upholding Paramount without dueEven if I have to lay all in a second mangerI know daily I must deliver the goods without missAnd the establishment must make profits quickBut I have no magic wand, even if I look blueI know I’ll be ready on the day of reckoning.

vendredi 15 janvier 2010

The new Head of the European Union in Cameroon, Raul Mateus, has reaffirmed the Union’s resolve to continue to support Cameroon’s efforts in building its road infrastructure.

Speaking recently after meeting with Prime Minister Philemon Yang, the diplomat who has been in Cameroon for less than two months since he formally took over the running of the Yaounde Diplomatic Mission, told reporters that the EU is intent on boosting the disenfranchisement of Cameroon through continuous improvement of its road network. Last year, the EU opened up the Garoua-Figuil road in the North Region, followed by that of Muea-Kumba in the South West Region.

(Cameroon Tribune, 23/12/2009)

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EDUCATION

Bamenda to get new school

Work is soon to start on the construction of a new primary school in Bamenda. The school which is being offered by First Lady Chantal Biya is part of the scheme the Chantal Biya Foundation runs for empowerment of the education sector in the country. The institution will be located in Ntenifor, Bamendankwe in Bamenda I Sub Division and will be built early enough so that it opens its doors in September 2010.

Taking off complete with all the six classes of the primary school, the school will be equipped with a Headmaster’s Office, a secretariat, a modern toilet, a multimedia centre with computers, and a playground including a football pitch, a handball pitch and a basketball pitch.

Feasibility studies on the Limbe Deep Seaport have been formally handed over to the government of Cameroon. The document was submitted to Transport Secretary of State Mefiro Oumarou recently by the Chairman of the Limbe Port Development Authority, Korean Entrepreneur Yeon Seob. The project which will be situated in Ngeme village in the Limbe locality is expected to cost some 426bn CFA when finished.

Limbe II Mayor Molindo Duncan told the Secretary of State that he hoped the Deep Seaport would actually be built, unlike the Limbe Cement Factory which was promised the people but never given.

Metta sons and daughters nationwide have vowed to awaken the Metta Cultural and Development Association, and through it, give the Metta community a new lease of life. This would be done, regardless of problems face, with some of the first projects to be completed being the construction of a modern mortuary in Mbengwi, with the sum of 5 million FCFA already raised for that purpose. Also on the agenda is the introduction of a uniform for members of the Metta Cultural and Development Association (MECUDA).

The pronouncements were made during the 2009 Annual General Assembly of MECUDA held recently at the palace of Fon Njokem in Mbengwi.However, the President General of MECUDA, Louis Teboh, warned that these and other projects would not be realized unless Metta people sink their differences and work for the common good of the community.

The USA Branch was singled out for the exemplary step it took by providing 45 benches to GSS Bome and GTC Zang Tabi. That branch and the UK branch were both praised for making a valuable contribution towards the payment of salaries to staff at the Mbengwi District Hospital.

Mayor Prince Ekale Mukete has promised the people of his municipality interesting times in the 2010 financial year. Projects earmarked for the year, according to the mayor include the setting up of a micro finance scheme and a youth programme, the later being specifically intended to empower young people of the Council area. Other measures envisaged include recruitment in the areas of the municipal police, hygiene and sanitation, archives and documentation, public relations and urban development. Also planned are the purchase of more vehicles for the council, the building of a food market and a Commercial Centre in Kake.

This would be funded by a budget of 797bn CFA which councilors have voted for the financial year.

(Cameroon Tribune, 23/12.2009)

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Buea Council increases annual budget.

Buea Council is working on a budget of 600m this new fiscal year of 2010. That figure marks an increase over last year’s budget. The Council’s Mayor, Mbella Moki Charles Sees the rise as a necessary means of successfully facing the challenges of 2010.

The budget is targeting needy areas such as HIV AIDS, education, housing as well as pursuing ongoing work which includes the installation and protection of street lights, construction of the Buea market, and later, construction of a modern Town Hall for the Council.

I’m already on my wayGliding, sliding, floating and surfingIt doesn’t matter one bitIf the lilies are hibernatingNo, what matters, at least to meIs the manner princessSo lowly, so chaste, so purelyLearn their daily bible verses.

My name is QuintaBut I’m not bitterI’m all lights and rosesSome call me electricalBut I’m no short circuitI’m only a monocotyledonous petalLooking for the right street.

Although you may think me a pitcherI must say rose periwinkles are betterJust in case the door closesBut rest assured I won`t be hystericalI just know I’m cute I care little for precious metalAnd to boost, I’m ever so discreet.

I want to be a successful manMan who lives and works and does no evilI want to be the face behind the maskA force to be reckoned withThe only cock that crowsAnd the only man the Kremlin fears.

Even so, never will I be the odd manI’m neither Chamberlain nor NevilleBut simply a servant imbued with the gift of the garbHere where I sit and serve, sometimes as the fifthI count all the heads as the day growsAnd if there’s one thing I can’t forget, it’s surely my peers.

Let me call my sonAnd I will do so right here, right nowI will do so, not for funNo, but in all seriousnessLike the pepped up torch bearerThe sullen town crierWho is, who was and who is to be.

I`m not Mbarga AndersonBut this right-hand man of mine is a real vowHe is in no way a man on the runThat`s why I hold him in all highnessHe is my eyes, my ears, and my water bearerWhen I shall have gone higherHe is the one and only, my man, who will be.

(For past students of Sacred Heart College, Mankon,who will remember that `rice and beans` was the most popular meal in the college,, but especially those of St.Thomas` House who loved rice and beans most to the extent of having us others nickname their House as "Saint Tom").

By Tikum Mbah Azonga

I love rice and beansEspecially when it’s on ThursdaysAnd in the afternoon for lunchIt gives a sense of false security and a leitmotivBut there’s one condition, thoughThe weevils must be legion in the riceAnd the palm oil must sparkleAnd colour and coat the rice.

I like the flatulence of beansBut when it’s with rice on the traysIt’s different, it becomes a crunchAlthough rice and beans may not be a locomotiveI don’t mind the troughSo that when the prefects us rattleI can boast I ate rice and beans and more rice.

The Board members were returning to Buea from Bambili where they went to attend the wedding of the daughter of the GCE Board Chairman Dr Peter Alangeh Abety. They were traveling in a service coaster of the GCE Board when it collided with a passenger bus in the Mbanga area.

(The Post, Monday 11 January 2010)

FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

Cabinet minister and director picked up

Former Secondary Education Secretary of State Catherine Abena has been picked up by the Judicial Police in Yaounde on charges of embezzling public funds while serving as a cabinet member. Also arrested and being held at the Judicial Police Headquarters is Henri Engoulou, Former Minister Delegate in the Ministry of the Economy and Finance. A report broadcast during today’s national and world news by CRTV National Television Deputy Editor in Chief, Ashu Nyenti, stated that while the team of reporters was at the Judicial Police in the afternoon for further details, it spotted Mrs. Abena going from office to office and not willing to talk. She is said to have also gone on a hunger strike, but since she will not talk, the exact reason for the strike is not yet known.

Last week, other top officials were arrested. The most commented among them is the Former Basic Education Minister Mrs. Haman Adama, the reason being that she is the first official from the three regions of the Big North to have been arrested for alleged embezzlement. Since Paul Biya launched a war against corruption by arresting top public officials a couple of years ago, most arrests have come from the Beti tribal to which he belongs. In addition to Mrs. Haman Adama, the former General Manager of Aéroport du Cameroon, Ntongo Onguene, was also arrested.

Although on the whole, observers applaud this move by President Paul Biya, tongues are wagging, the reason being that when he makes arrests, he does not make those accused to return the money they are said to have stolen. Some pundits also wonder what criteria he is using to arrest suspects when , as one man put it: ‘there are other people walking free whom everyone knows do not have clean hands and should also have been arrested.”

(The Post, Monday 11 January 2010)

RELIGIOUS NEWS

Pope shuffles clergy

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed new bishops in Cameroon. Bishop Joseph Atanga of Bafoussam has been raised to archbishop of Bertoua where he replaces Mgr Roger Pirenne, while Rev Faustin Ambassa Ndjido who was until recently Superior of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary becomes bishop of Batouri, and Rev Sosthene Leopold Bayemi Majjei who prior to his own appointment was a lecturer at the Catholic University of Central Africa, goes to Obala as the bishop of that diocese in replacement of Mgr Jerome Owona Mimboe.

Born in 1952 in Akok-Bekoe village in the Mefou and Akono Division of the Central Region, Mgr Joseph Atanga has spent a fairly long time as a clergy. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Brazzaville, a Doctorate degree in the same subject from Fordham University. He was Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Yaounde up till 1999. He is currently a lecturer at the Catholic University of Central Africa.

Mgr Faustin Ambassa who was prior to the present appointment, Chairman of the Council of Senior Superiors of Cameroon and Episcopal Vicar in charge of Consecrated Life of the Yaounde Archdiocese, was born Ekouda in Lekie Division of the Central Region in 1964. After his ordination in 1977 at the age of 33 he served as vicar at the Our Lady of Peace Parish in Dakar, Senegal. Later, he became curate of the St. Pius X Parish on Ngoa in the Diocese of Obala. Mgr Faustin has taught philosophy for years in Senegal and Cameroon. He once served as Superior of the CICM Province of Cameroon.

The new bishop of Obala was born in 1964 in Matomb in Nyong and Kelle Division of the Centre Province. He was ordained priest in the Eseka Cathedral in Nyong and Kelle Division in 1994. He served as vicar at the St. Simon of Kondi Parish in Douala, and later Curate of the St. Paul Parish in Ngog-Mapubi under the Eseka Diocese. In 2001 he was Vicar General of the Eseka Diocese and Curate of the Risen Christ Parish in Eseka. Prior to his appointment, he was a lecturer at the Catholic University of Central Africa and attaché at the Apostolic Nunciature in Yaoundé.

(Cameroon Tribune, 04 December 2009, and Le Jour of 5 December 2009)

NATIONAL FINANCES

The 2010 budget

The national budget for the current year, 2010 went into effect on the 1st of January 2010 and will run until the 31st of December this year. The budget stands at a total of 2,270bn FCFA and represents an overall increase of 11.5 per cent on the 2009 budget of 2,301bn.

Priority areas pinpointed in the budget include power supply with a view to checking the sporadic power cuts that have characterized daily life in the country for some time now. Another key sector is that of the road network. Some new roads are envisaged in the course of the year, with existing ones being consolidated. Projected macroeconomic trends includes a 3.9 per cent growth rate in the GDP, a 3 per inflation rate, an oil price of $70 per barrel and an average exchange rate for the dollar of 446 CFA Frs. per dollar.

The budget is broken down as follows:

1. Presidency of the Republic – 57,342bn2. Services attached to the Presidency of the Republic – 6.677bn3. The National Assembly – 15350bn4. The Prime Minister’s Office – 13bn5. The Economic and Social Council – 2362bn6. The Supreme Court – 5,082bn7. The Supreme State Audit – 6,5298. Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Territorial Management – 23,216bn9. Ministry of Higher Education – 43,711bn10. Ministry of Labour and Social Security – 4,322bn11. Ministry of Defence – 175,355bn12. Ministry of Basic Education – 167,728bn13. Ministry of Energy and Power – 44,614bn14. Ministry of Justice – 26,329bn15. Ministry of Town Planning and Housing – 51bn16. Ministry of Transport – 11,758bn17. Ministry of Youth Affairs – 7,820bn18. Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications – 12,64119. Ministry of State Property and Land Tenure – 15,176bn20. Ministry of Employment and Professional Training – 6bn21. Ministry of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises – 7,222bn22. Ministry of Tourism – 4,34023. Ministry of the Environment – 1,200bn24. Ministry of Trade – 5,405bn26. Ministry of Industries and Mines – 6,801bn27. Ministry of Public Works – 182,282bn28. Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization – 35,992bn29. Ministry of Communication – 7,376bn30. Ministry of Sports and Physical Education – 17,923bn31. Ministry of the Public Service – 12,660bn32. Ministry of Finance – 55,371bn33. General Delegation for National Security – 73,842bn34. Ministry of Public Health – 123,701bn35. Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation – 13,157bn36. Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family – 5,728bn37. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development – 60,342bn38. Ministry of Social Affairs – 7,589bn39. Ministry of Animal Breading, Livestock and Animal Industries – 20,488bn40. Ministry of Culture – 5,252bn41. Ministry of External Relations – 28,784bn42. Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife – 17,547bn.

dimanche 10 janvier 2010

The newly enthroned Fon of Oshie, HRH Ekanya Lawrence Anyangwe V has been presented to the Oshie population of Limbe in the South West Region. This took place in November 2009 at a ceremony warmed up by Oshie notable and business tycoon Awanga in his capacity as National President of the Oshie Cultural and Development Association (OCA).

During the ceremony, the sum of 20m FCFA was raised for the refurbishment of the Oshie palace and improvement of water supply in the village. The event was attended by over 2000 delegates and invitees, including the Government Delegate to the Limbe Urban Council, Andrew Motanga Monjimba who made a contribution of 150 000 FCFA. Ngamfon Awanga who is also Board Chairman of the National Financial Credit high street bank and CEO of the Samaritan Insurance Company, donated a million FRS CFA. He also used the occasion to launch a scholarship scheme for Oshie students with a view to enabling them accede to higher education, with emphasis on professional disciplines such as medicine, business studies, accountancy, engineering, as well as professional schools like ENAM, IRIC, ASMAC, ASTI, EMIA and the ENS. To farmers, he promised subventions for fertilizers and seedlings in order to boost crop production.

The presentation of the Fon coincided with the holding of the 2009 edition of the OCA Annual National Convention. The reason for holding the Convention out of Oshie was stated by the OCA National President as being a means of increasing participation and fundraising.

(Chronicle Nov 11-21, 2009)

POLITICS

Biya walks a tight rope

On the occasion of the 27th anniversary of President Paul Biya`s accession to power, in November 2009, Chronicle newspaper drew up a balance sheet of his work, published under the title, “Biya`s tempting moments within 27 years”. The analysis is contained in eleven points: the transformation of the erstwhile CNU party into the present day CPDM, the attempted coup in 1984 which the president survived, the wind of change that originated in Moscow and swept across Africa in the 1990s, the Ghost Town demonstrations that paralyzed the nation in those years, and the devaluation of the CFA Franc as a response to the biting economic crisis. Also mentioned are the fight against inertia and corruption, the Bakassi crisis, revision of the constitution to increase the president’s term in office, the power struggle at the helm of state affairs symbolized by the G11 syndrome and the February 2009 commodity riots.
(Chronicle Nov 11-21, 2009)

Former SDF baron joins new party

The Former SDF parliamentarian for the Tubah and Bafut Constituency, Akonteh Andrew, who quit his party has joined the Democratic Movement for a Modern Cameroon (DMMC), as that party’s National Vice President. The DMMC is headed by the politician Milla Assoute who is known for his acerbic criticism of Paul Biya, National President of the ruling CPDM party and current president of the Republic.
(The Post, November 23, 2009)

RURAL DEVELOPMENTRumpi launches road project

The Rumpi Area Participatory Development Project is soon to begin construction and rehabilitation work on some 227 kilometers of rural roads in the six Divisions of the South West Region: Fako, Meme,Ndian, Kupe Manenguba, Meme and Lebialem. The revelation was made by Dr. Andrew Eneme Ngome, General Manager of the South West Development Authority (SOWEDA) which is the supervisory body of the Rumpi Project. Funding is being provided by the African Development Bank as part of its ongoing assistance to Rumpi projects. The improved road network is expected to boost access to farming areas in the hinterlands and ease evacuation of farm produce.

Responding to concerns that the work might be abandoned half way, Rumpi Project Coordinator Besong Ogork Ntui gave assurances that such an eventuality was impossible because the project would be closely supervised by an independent Control Mission from the Republic of South Africa.

(Eden, Wednesday 18- November 23 2009)

AIR TRANSPORTDouala airport tightens security

Security has been reinforced at the Douala International Airport as a way of protecting persons and goods passing through the airport. Some of the measures introduced include refusal of access to persons seeing off passengers, the beefed up presence of policemen and women and security guards at the various entrances and exits of the airport, the banning of vehicles on the path leading to the VIP lounge and the interdiction of haphazard parking in front of the airport. Even airport staffs are no longer allowed to park at the entrance to the airport. Henceforth, they must use the car park allocated for that purpose. Ambulant salespersons and street beggars who used to freely enter and leave the airport have now been barred. People coming to receive parcels must first of all leave their identity cards with the appointed official before entering the building.

(Le Jour, jeudi 03 décembre 2009)

POLITICS AND DIPLOMACYNational Assembly President in China

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Cavaye Yeguie Djibril has returned from a working visit in China, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, the President of the Permanent Committee of the Chinese People`s National Assembly, Wu Bangguo.

While in China, Cavaye visited the capital, Beijing, Guiyang in the South East, and the industrial and commercial centre of Guangzhou in the South.

During talks held by the two men, the need to strengthen cooperation was stated, with specific mention made of domains such as infrastructure, equipment, capacity building of parliamentarians. The two leaders recognized that although business between the two countries was encouraging, it needed to be enhanced.
(Cameroon Tribune, December 31, 2009)

BILINGUALISMDouala Linguistic Centre turns twenty

The Douala Linguistic Centre which is on of the centres opened in eight of the country’s ten regions for the teaching mainly but not exclusively of the two official languages, French and English, and through that, the promotion of the policy of bilingualism, celebrated its twentieth anniversary in November 2009. In the twenty years of its existence, the Douala Centre has trained some 4000 learners. However, there is still some considerable apathy on the part of the government employees for whom use of the Centre should have been a foregone conclusion.

The Center’s Director, Mbiwan Tanyi Ebob Ebenye, told Cameroon Tribune: “Our fees are extremely moderate. We offer almost free services to the public. The fees range between CFA 20, 000 and 30 000, depending on the learner’s schedule. We have six levels of learning, beginning with the foundation through elementary to the advanced level. Each module lasts three months and strictly respects individual schedules. Some students come in the morning, others choose to come in the afternoon or evening. We also adapt our lessons to the learner’s individual needs. We teach the language of business to businessmen, the language of diplomacy to diplomats, etc.”
(Cameroon Tribune, Monday 21 December 2009)

DIPLOMACYBakassi priority projects on track

The 2009 fiscal year has been a good one in terms of realization of the priority projects earmarked for the Bakassi County. According to Lekunze Ketuma Jacob, Chairman of the Coordination and Follow-Up Committee for the projects, up to 80 per cent of the projects were completed in the fiscal year. Lekunze was speaking after an evaluation tour in the area.

Lekunze said: “We had CFA one billion for priority projects in Bakassi in 2008 with an execution rate of more than 90 per cent, and now, we have an execution rate of 80 per cent for the 2009 projects budgeted at over eight billion.”

According to Cameroon Tribune, projects have been completed in all the five Sub Divisions that constitute the Bakassi peninsula. These are Bamusso, Idabato, Kombo Itindi, Isangele and Kombo Abedimo which the paper says “are currently being transformed into work sites with infrastructure springing up like mushrooms.”

Specific projects FOR Kombo Itindi include an Integrated Health Centre complete with staff quarters and a police post in Ngoso, as well as the Sub Divisional Delegation of Agriculture and Rural Development, complete with staff quarters. Bamusso has a new Sub Divisional Delegation of Animal Breeding, Fisheries and Animal Industries and a new Sub Division of Basic Education. Kombo Abedimo has been given a Sub Divisional Office, a Government Technical College, a Potable Water system using solar energy, a Women’s` Empowerment Centre, a Social Centre, and a Rural Artisan and Home Economics Centre (SAR/SM). Isangele Sub Division also has a Women’s Empowerment Centre and a Rural Artisan and Home Economics Centre (SAR/SM). In addition, the Sub Division has been equipped with a residence for the medical officer and a new building for the Sub Divisional Office as well as a Sub Divisional Delegation of Animal Breeding, Fisheries and Animal Industries.
(Cameroon Tribune, Monday 21 December 2009)

PUBLIC CONTRACT AWARDSInformation System Installation

The Douala Port Authority is inviting tenders for the putting in place of a Seaport Information System at the Douala Port.

Criteria for selection include qualification of staff, candidate’s references, technical capacity and presentation of the file.

Application files should be written in French or English must be in five copies, one of which is the original and the other four, copies, and deposited in Room 920 of the Douala Port Authority Office, situated in the IGH Building at Douala-Bonanjo by 12 pm on 20 January 2010 Cameroon time. Further details can be obtained from the Permanent Secretariat of the Seaport Information System at the Douala Port Authority. Tel: (237) 3342 0133.
(Cameroon Tribune, Monday 21 December 2009)

POWER SUPPLYWind generated electricity to take off in North West

A Spanish firm , Ecovalen Energetica S.L., is working towards setting up electricity production wind turbines in Fundong, headquarters of Boyo Division in the North West Region, which when completed, will supply enough power to the entire region for about twenty years. The project which is the initiative of the Cameroon government is expected to go operational in about a year’s time.

North West Regional Delegate for Power and Water Resources, Awa Celestine Anyam, explained the choice of Boyo to host the projects by the fact that experts had recommended it based on the Division having the highest wind velocity in the region. After Boyo, similar projects will be installed in Manyu for the South West and Mbouda for the West Regions respectively.

REGIONAL NEWS

West Region: New hospital equipment

Sons and daughters of Baham, headquarters of Upper Plateau Division have sent home drugs and medical equipment worth some 1bn FCFA. The items are to be distributed to some seven hospitals in the region.

The package which was handed over to the Prefect of Upper Plateau Division, Tangwa Joseph, for onward transmission, included 480 hospital beds and 16 operation beds, made possible through personal contributions from members of the Baham community in Germany as well as some German friendly NGOs.

(Cameroon Tribune, Tuesday 23 December 2009)

South Region: mosquito nets

The MTN Foundation has donated a total of 500 mosquito nets to expectant women and children aged 0-15 years in Lokoundje, Ocean Division, for use by the inhabitants of Lokoundje Council area. The gift was handed over to the mayor of the Council, Innocent Ondoua Nkou, by MTN Cameroon General Manager Philippe Vandebrouk, as MTN`s contribution towards the fight against malaria, a major killer in the country.
(Cameroon Tribune, Thursday 03 December 2009)

North Region: Garoua II Council votes 2010 Budget

Garoua II Council has adopted a budget of 136m FCFA for the 2010 financial year, which marks an increase of 12m over the 2008 budget. The new budget will prioritize the acquisition of a site for the construction of the Garoua II Town Hall, rehabilitation of the Takasko market and the extension of the electricity network in some quarters of Garoua II.
(Cameroon Tribune, Thursday 03 December 2009)

Littoral Region: European Union boost

The European Union has through the Rural Development Programme of the Mungo-Nkam Agricultural Basin (PDRBAN), donated a garri manufacturing machine to the Grouping of Girls and Women for the Aid and Development of Ngalmoa (REFENAD), located in Nkongsamba I Sub Division.

The machine is worth 2.3m FCA and is equipped with components such as cassava grinding machine, a processing machine and a cassava flour sieve. The machine has the capacity to grind up to ten tones of cassava per day, which means that the quantity of cassava needed to meet that demand is high but also challenging.

Qui êtes-vous ?

I speak over twenty languages. I have native-level command of both French and English. In fact, after my higher education in France, I was recruited by France and seconded to a High School in London as a "French Mother Tongue" teacher, or what is commonly referred to as a Foreign Language Assistant. I am by training a journalist, teacher of French and Spanish, as well as a translator-interpreter. I studied in Cameroon, France and England.I have criss crossed Africa and Europe.I have worked as a journalist and teacher of French and Spanish in some United Kingdom High Schools, but especially in London. Today, I teach journalism at the University of Buea in Cameroon.
I have published books of poetry in English and French, some of which are official text books in Cameroonian schools. I am currently working on a collection of poems in Spanish and another in Ewondo, a variety of the Beti language spoken in three of Cameroon's ten regions as well as in parts of neighbouring Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.